Politics: The 2025 balance sheet: a concentration of power, the consolidation of the 4T, and main problems unresolved or getting worse
With the year 2025 drawing to a close and Claudia Sheinbaum’s first year in office under her belt, this week’s edition of the Political Outlook centers on drawing a balance sheet of the past 12 months. The analysis centers on two levels: a general account of the legislative sessions and government actions in four key areas: the economy, politics, security and social policy.
On a legislative level much of the approved legislation involved modifications to general laws to align them with the constitutional changes approved from September to December 2024. Among the important legislation were bills on energy but also on public security, housing, and water. Behind this intense legislative effort lay several objectives, chief among them consolidating and reinforcing the concentration of power in the Executive Branch, including on key economic matters. This goal was largely met, to the consternation of the opposition and the business community. Yet on the level of practical results, this concentration of power has not translated into a more efficient administration.
On an economic level, the approved laws consolidate and expand the role of the state in strategic sectors, such as energy, telecommunications, railways, water, housing, and economic competition. At the same time, what should have been a priority, which is revitalizing the lackluster economy, was barely addressed.
In the field of public security and specifically the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking, the balance sheet is somewhat more positive, in large part thanks to the leadership role and concrete results of Minister of Security and Citizen Protection Omar Garcia Harfuch. This has translated into increased credibility in the White House and less pressure on Mexico from the Trump administration. Nevertheless, the security strategy is severely hampered by the impunity that Morena legislators and public officials enjoy in their dealings with organized crime as well as severe budgetary limitations for the nation’s security forces.
On the political level, as noted above, 2025 witnessed the consolidation of the 4T’s concentration of power, largely due to the judicial reform, which resulted in the subordination of the judicial branch to the executive branch. In short, even though President Sheinbaum continues to enjoy high approval ratings, the country’s main problems have remained largely unresolved or are, in fact, worsening.
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